The role of a self-propelled gun came from combat experiences in World War I and from Von Manstein’s “Sturmartillerie” concept. During the German offensives on the Allied front, infantry lacked artillery support against fortifications in places out-ranged by their heavy artillery behind the lines. A need for a mobile artillery piece was necessary to keep up with the German infantry and fight enemy fortifications with a direct-fire assault role. On June 15, 1936, Daimler-Benz AG was ordered to develop a support vehicle mounting the 75 mm howitzer as its armament in a casemate structure with a traverse of 25 degrees. The vehicle was to provide full protection for its crew and be no taller than an average soldier. Daimler-Benz repurposed the chassis and running gear of their Panzer III design for the role. These new vehicles were named the Sturmgeschütz III, and the finished designs were sent to Alkett for prototype production and five were produced in 1937. These prototypes were made of mild steel and had the 75 mm StuK 37 L/24 cannon, an adaption of the original 75 mm KwK 37 cannon on the Panzer IV. This gun would be featured on the StuG III variants Ausf. A to Ausf. E. The StuG III entered production from January 1940 to the end of the war on April 1945 due to the many upgrades done on the vehicle to increase serviceability and its low cost. At about a total production of 11,300 StuG III and its variants, the StuG III design was the most produced armoured fighting vehicle in German service. Only 36 Ausf.As were produced by Daimler-Benz AG between January and May 1940. The first were delivered in September 1939 and the whole series completed in April 1940. The last six were based on the Panzer III Ausf.G chassis. However, due to numerous production faults, only four batteries were sent in France by May 1940. The Ausf.B was produced by Alkett and saw a much larger production, between June 1940 and May 1941. They were nearly identical to the Ausf.A, if not for the slightly larger tracks. Standard roadwheels were interlocked with external 520x95mm ruberrized roadwheels and both were interchangeable. The early 10-speed transmission, which proved troublesome, was replaced by a 6-speed one. To reduce chances of the tracks being thrown off during tight turns, the forward return rollers were re-positioned even further forward. The Ausf.C was nearly identical to previous versions and was only produced for a single month, in April 1941, with 50 vehicles coming out of the factory. The C had the main gunner’s forward view port eliminated and replaced by a relocated periscope in the front left of the case-mate. The Ausf.D was virtually identical, only receiving an on-board intercom. 150 were delivered between May and September 1941. It was simply an upgrade of the C on the production line. Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjejQojHTTggkEi_6d15Svg/join ■ So want to help keep me and the channel going? Support me on Patreon will get you access to extra content for three channels in total. ■ Support me on my Patreon https://www.patreon.com/Panzerpicture ■ Or buy me a Coffee on https://www.buymeacoffee.com/panzerpicture ■ Store: https://panzerpicture-2.creator-spring.com/ ■ Information obtained from several sites. ■ Wikipedia ■ tanks-encyclopedia ■ the.shadock.free.fr/Surviving_Panzers ■ preservedtanks ■ pantser.net ■ the.shadock.free.fr/Tanks_in_France ■ Some music is from the YouTube Audio Library. ■ Music used: EpidemicSound.com Copyright fair use notice All media used in this video is used for the purpose of education under the terms of fair use. All footage and images used belong to their copyright holders. ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XznIy_buUAM

0:03 During Operation Market Garden, a C-47 damaged by anti-aircraft fire while returning from a drop, The plane made a forced landing near Gheel and in the process collided with a abandoned German Jagdpanther, this Jagdpanther from 1. Kompanie of schwere Panzer-Jäger Abteilung 559 had been disabled during the fighting around Gheel around a week prior. The crew all survived, with some already jumped out before the crash. 0:52 Abandoned Jagdpanther set on fire for the newsreels in France. 1:01 Jagdpanther being towed during the Battle of the Bulge. The Jagdpanther or Panzerjager V was a German tank destroyer during WWII based on the chassis of the Panther tank it entered service in late 1944 and saw service on the Eastern and Western fronts. The Jagdpanther was developed out of the a German project were they had two attempts at mounting an 8.8 cm gun as a self-propelled anti-tank weapon. A design based on the 8.8 cm Pak 43 gun and the Panther tank chassis was ordered in late 1942. and several prototypes were finished in October/November 1943. and production started in January 1944. The Jagdpanther combined the very powerful 88mm Pak43 and the Panther Chassis. But it suffered from several problems which the Panther tank also had, like engine fires and at the end of the war, poor production was also one of them, together with the poor maintenance and training of the crews. Which would result in many of the vehicles to be abandoned. Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjejQojHTTggkEi_6d15Svg/join ■ So want to help keep me and the channel going? Support me on Patreon will get you access to extra content for three channels in total. ■ Support me on my Patreon https://www.patreon.com/Panzerpicture ■ Or buy me a Coffee on https://www.buymeacoffee.com/panzerpicture ■ Store: https://panzerpicture-2.creator-spring.com/ ■ Information obtained from several sites. ■ Wikipedia ■ tanks-encyclopedia ■ the.shadock.free.fr/Surviving_Panzers ■ preservedtanks ■ pantser.net ■ the.shadock.free.fr/Tanks_in_France ■ Some music is from the YouTube Audio Library. ■ Music used: EpidemicSound.com Copyright fair use notice All media used in this video is used for the purpose of education under the terms of fair use. All footage and images used belong to their copyright holders. ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUFXEcLcHEs